'DWTS,' 'Bachelor,' and a bigger 'Shark Tank' return

ABC is renewing its biggest reality shows. The network has picked up long-running competition series Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor, plus slow-growth success story Shark Tank.

The fourth season renewal of Shark Tank is a particularly compelling story. For the first time, Shark Tank is getting a full season of 22 episodes.

In a rare display of ratings growth from the bottom levels of Nielsen, the business-minded reality series barely squeaked past a renewal its first couple years. But thanks to a great format, ABC’s patience and some sharp casting tweaks along the way by executive producer Mark Burnett (such as bringing on billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban), Shark Tank has managed to gain a strong following at 8 p.m. on Friday nights — arguably the toughest time slot in primetime. Not bad for a low-key show that’s set in a single room, with no celebrities, no studio audience, and rewards everyday people for their business ideas and math skills.